NCL Casinos at Sea Free Cruise Pricing and Search Tips

[Matt]

NCL Casinos at Sea offers comp or discount cruises to players in the Casino. In order to trigger this a degree of onboard casino play is required. Here's an in depth post on the concepts of casino play, comp and THEO regarding the 'actual' cost of a free cruise.

Once you are 'in the club' you get 1-2 offers all the time. My current offer (based on very little play) is:

Any 11 day cruise (inside stateroom) other than Hawaii and Nordic Capitals (it is a specific cruise and looks pretty cool). Other EU/Global cruises are valid.

Pricing of a 'free cruise' is as follows: $25 pp day+ port fees+ tips onboard. As my current offer is an inside stateroom I would seek to pay to upgrade. The price quoted to upgrade is as follows:

• $320 PP per cruise for Guest 1 and 2) to move to Balcony
• $500 PP per cruise for Guest 1 and 2) to move to Mini Suite

Update: It seems that the above upgrade rates apply to Caribbean and Bermuda... Alaska and EU cruises upgrade at a higher rate.

Therefore the actual cost of a balcony cabin 7 day cruise for 2 people would be:

• $175x2 + 320x2+ port fees = Circa 1K.

Note that the first two elements are somewhat fixed, port fees vary by port and range around $100-200 per person per week. This means that you could get good value when booking cruises like this one:



A challenge we recently faced was adding a baby to the booking. It seemed that we were getting a rate of $175 per adult, but the baby was $600+ fees (which is INSANE!) and today I found out how to avoid those cruises. Note that Casinos at Sea bookings must be made on the telephone, so 'finding space' is a PITA.

3rd pax Free or 3rd Pax 1/2 price

If you do an online search and find this bonus '3rd pax free..' (typically occurs away from school holidays) then you can avoid the 3rd person charge for the baby on a Casinos at Sea booking - basically the bonus stacks. To find it you need to look for the purple cruises, like here:



The easiest way to pull up these cruises is to go to 'advanced search options and check the box for Free':



The above list is for the Getaway from Miami. Example price would be May 16th balcony $1898 (plus $345 port fees) for the three of us.

The Casino at Sea rate would be:

• baby 118..83
• 308 pp (cruise plus port fees)
• upgrade 320x2 to balcony
• upgrade 500x2 to mini suite

Final Price Balcony cabin, NCL Getaway:

NCL website: $2243
Casinos at Sea: $1374

Hope that shows the value of the cruise, and also how to find the best ones if you are a parent with an infant. Think of it like award space, Purple = Saver rate Green = Standard rate no color = you are screwed rate.

 

[plane2port]

My son, who is a professional player, has just asked me to find a cruise for him and his friends, so your post comes at an opportune time. How do you get invited to the players club? Do you first have to go on a cruise, play, and then wait for an invite?

Also, do you have any hints for staying "under the radar" as an advantage player? They say that they are just going on the cruise to relax, but I know that they won't be able to help themselves. Thanks!

 

[Matt]

My son, who is a professional player, has just asked me to find a cruise for him and his friends, so your post comes at an opportune time. How do you get invited to the players club? Do you first have to go on a cruise, play, and then wait for an invite?

Also, do you have any hints for staying "under the radar" as an advantage player? They say that they are just going on the cruise to relax, but I know that they won't be able to help themselves. Thanks!

Note that this searching only applies to people bringing a 3rd or 4th passenger to their cabin, in my case Dylan. Otherwise you just pick whatever...

The players club might have some connection land based, but I just joined onboard. NCL has one of the more professional casino operations, they are more likely to notice advantage players.

 

[f0xx]

"Free"

Got to stop with the clickbate style wording.

 

[Matt]

"Free"

Got to stop with the clickbate style wording.

That's what they call them. If you aren't a part of NCL Casinos at Sea just disregard the post.

 

[T CHATTEY]

I am at a CAS member and called to get info on a promotion. I was quoted a $400.00 admin charge along with taxes of $269.00 and an upgrade to a balcony of $640.00. I understand the upgrade fee and the taxes but why the $400.00 admin fee??? Wondering if you have come across this. Thanks

 

[plane2port]

I don't know if this is the same charge, but we were quoted $185 per person "non-commissionable fare" on our ocean view cabin. That times two would be close to that fee you were charged.

 

[Matt]

I am at a CAS member and called to get info on a promotion. I was quoted a $400.00 admin charge along with taxes of $269.00 and an upgrade to a balcony of $640.00. I understand the upgrade fee and the taxes but why the $400.00 admin fee??? Wondering if you have come across this. Thanks

I don't know if this is the same charge, but we were quoted $185 per person "non-commissionable fare" on our ocean view cabin. That times two would be close to that fee you were charged.

Yep, that is standard, they charge a rate that seems to be around $20-25 Per person per day for the cruise. The ones where you can find 3rd guest free they don't pay that, the 3rd guest only would pay the port fees.

Upgrade fees vary on how many levels you are moving up, and from what the initial offer was.